ART. 3.] BALTIMORE COUNTY.

be vested by the original record, deed, paper or in-
strument of writing as fully and effectually as if the
record or the original had not been destroyed by
fire.

369

146. la all cases where any of the records have .
been only partially destroyed or injured by fire, so
that they may bo restored by their own intrinsic evi-
dence or by the aid of other evidence accessible to
the said commissioner, it shall be the duty of the said
commissioner to cause the said records to be restored
to their original condition, and for the purpose of
preserving the said records as continuous together
as they were before being burnt, the said commis-
sioner is hereby authorized, if he see fit, to cause the
binding of any of the record books to be removed,
so that the folios may be separated, the burnt por-
tions detached and the new record thereof and cor-
respondent thereto be substituted in the place of said
burnt part, and to have the said record book thus
restored rebound and a certificate to that effect re-
corded therein, and in all cases where any record
book or part of a record book has been recorded
anew, and any deed, mortgage, bill of sale or other
paper or instrument of writing in said record book
has not been perfected or fully restored, it shall be
the duty of the said commissioner to cause the same

Ibid s. 7
Partially des-
troyed record?.

to be perfected and restored; provided, that in the
opinion of the said commissioner it can be so per-
fected and restored either by its own intrinsic evi-
dence or by the aid of any other evidence acces-
sible to the said commissioner, and the said com-
missioner is hereby authorized to add to any record
book which has been wholly or partially destroyed
or injured by fire, and which has been made up or
wholly or partially re-recorded anew from either a
partially burnt record, from original papers or instru-
ments of writing, or from any properly authenticated
copies thereof as the case may be, any additional
matter or instrument of writing which in the opinion

Proviso.